--- title: How do diet and lifestyle factors relate to PMS and PMDD in medical students? description: Alcohol and tobacco use were linked to PMDD. Diet type was not linked to PMS or PMDD. Anger and irritability were the most common symptoms. url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/association-of-socio-demographic-dietary-and-lifestyle-factors-with-premenstrual-2020/ --- - [Niyora](https://niyora.com/) - [Research](https://niyora.com/research/) - [Library](https://niyora.com/research/library/) - How do diet and lifestyle factors relate to PMS and PMDD in medical students? Survey study, 2020 # How do diet and lifestyle factors relate to PMS and PMDD in medical students? Alcohol and tobacco use were linked to PMDD. Diet type was not linked to PMS or PMDD. Anger and irritability were the most common symptoms. Early or limited evidence 79 female medical students in Ahmedabad, India ## What they did Cross-sectional survey of 79 female medical students in Ahmedabad, India using the 14-item Premenstrual Symptoms Screening Tool (PSST). Assessed mood, appetite, sleep, anxiety, physical symptoms and functional impairment in five domains. ## What they found Anger or irritability was most common: 46.3% mild (n=76) and 41.4% moderate to severe (n=68). Other common symptoms were headaches, joint or muscle pain, breast tenderness, weight gain and bloating. Most common functional impairment was college or work efficiency reduction (48.2%, n=79). Alcohol and tobacco consumption had significant association with PMDD; diet type did not. ## What it means for you Mood and physical symptoms are most bothersome in these students. Alcohol and tobacco may worsen symptoms. This was a small observational study, so we cannot prove these factors cause PMS. 79 Students studied 46.3% Mild anger or irritability 41.4% Moderate to severe anger or irritability ## About the study Original title Association of socio-demographic, dietary and lifestyle factors with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) among undergraduate medical students of a tertiary care institute in Ahmedabad, Gujarat Authors Shah RS, Christian DS Journal Journal of family medicine and primary care Year 2020 Study design Survey study Participants 79 What was tested None; observational study of lifestyle factors Open access Yes Read the paper [doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1553_20](https://doi.org/10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_1553_20) ## Topics [Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pmdd/)[Irritability and anger](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-irritability-anger/)[Sleep and insomnia](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-sleep/)[Bloating, breast tenderness and physical symptoms](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-physical-symptoms/)[Pain and headache](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-pain/)[Exercise and yoga](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-exercise/)[Diet and nutrition](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-diet/)[Alcohol, smoking and substance use](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-substance-use/)[Work and productivity](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-work/)[Quality of life and daily functioning](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-quality-of-life/)[Students and academic performance](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-education/) Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits. Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor. ## Related studies Study, 2026 What are premenstrual syndrome and premenstrual dysphoric disorder? Survey study, 2024 What types of premenstrual syndrome exist and how common are they? Survey study, 2020 How common are premenstrual symptoms in secondary school students? Systematic review, 2025 How common are PMS, PMDD, and painful periods in nursing students, and do they affect their schooling? Randomised trial, 2026 Is Pilates exercise more effective than stretching for reducing PMS symptoms? Survey study, 2026 How common is PMDD in Russian medical students, and what are its symptoms? Ask AI about this page Copy prompt ChatGPT ↗ Claude ↗ Perplexity ↗ Google AI Mode ↗ Grok ↗